The Paths of a Knight
by GhastlyRevenant
Summary: Elizaveta was a girl. She knew it, eventually. Gilbert was a guy, everyone knew it. They both knew each other since they were kids, she as a young tomboy who thought she was a guy, and he as the super 'Awesome' dude. Both of them aimed to become knights, and would eventually reach this goal... and along the way uncover secrets about the other and face harrowing hardships.


Elek walked out of his tent, making sure not a single cloth was out of place, all the while tying up his hair. Though he enjoyed the feel of his own hair behind him, he couldn't afford to leave it loose. Silently he wondered whether Gilbert had begun practicing yet or not, but ignored the errant thought and ran off to the closest place to bathe, having noticed recently that some things were different about himself than the other knights. "Oh, who am I kidding?" He said under his breath, laughing slightly when he caught that, "Right, everyone. I better not blow it, who knows what they'll do?" Shaking his head he began the process of washing without being seen, and once finished began his own practice with the Cadences for his sword. He couldn't allow himself to get caught just yet, not until he was a well known and respected knight that had been able to protect many. Just that was plenty for him.

* * *

The training area was quiet and barren, the grass sparkling as the early sun shone on the fresh dew. The birds had just begun their chirping, but the day was much too new for any of the trainees to be up and about. Any, with one exception...

A boy named Gilbert Beilschmidt, a very ambitious trainee of the knights. He was known to rise earlier than most, pushing himself harder to fulfill his life long dream: to become the greatest, most awesome knight ever! Though, as shown in recent mock-duels, he needed a lot more practice... Much to his agitation, several of his peers were able to best him, among those was a person he considered his best and only friend in the whole camp. Even though he was a great friend, he had to beat him! He couldn't be the second best! It was unacceptable! "Argh!" he huffed, slinging his sword to slash the straw dummy diagonally across the chest. His sword dropped to the ground and he leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees as he worked to calm his heavy breathing. It was still no good... He needed to build up more stamina! Without any complaints of weariness or pain, he heaved the sword back up to his shoulder, eyeing the target with an intense hatred, the mere thought of dropping his sword to his opponent was enough to turn his anger into energy to keep swinging.

It had been awhile later, and the other apprentices would be out soon. Gilbert completed one last upward slash, lacerating the dummy from it's stomach to it's neck. His arms continued to fling upward, letting go of his sword and carrying his body backwards, ending him up on his back on the ground. His chest heaved and his lungs were burning as he laid in the damp green, his arms out stretched and his sword a length away. After a minute of recuperation, he slowly rolled onto his side, and, eventually, to his hands. From this point, he stood, still a bit wobbly from his intense training session, as he'd call it. He reached down and grasped the hilt of his sword, sluggishly lifting it from the ground. He always forgot ho much heavier the weapon felt after hours of slinging it around...

"Well, if it isn't Gilbird," mocked a voice that was nearby. It came from a brown haired boy, who was followed outside to the field by a group of apprentices. His nickname was an obvious play on the phrase 'early bird catches the worm', only without the worm part... which was also part of the joke he had heard behind his back many a time. "The teachers are waiting for you back at the sleeping quarters," he said with a snort, digging his own sword into the softened soil, "Better go get your daily punishment." Some of the kids snickered.

Gilbert didn't indulge them in getting angry. Most days, he would have tackled Edwin, but he was too tired and didn't want to get in the extra trouble. He'd just knock him around during training later... that'd teach him... With a huff, he walked past the group and picked up the scabbard for his sword and slid it inside. He placed the strap across his shoulder and made the slow trip back to barracks, intentionally taking his time to postpone the inevitable lecture.

Elek returned to the sleeping quarters to put away his sword, having finished with his practices, and trying to avoid the unsavory fellow apprentices. Really he only got on with Gilbert, who was a bit egotistical but at least he was nice. Spotting the familiar white head and cape of his friend, Elek burst into a light jog, calling out somewhat quietly "Hey Gilbert!"

Upon catching up, he noticed the slightly slow, reluctant way he was walking. Falling into step beside him, Elek opted for a tact silence, figuring that he had been sent once more to be lectured. Honestly, he didn't think it was very fair of them to do this as often as they did, but it wasn't his call. He never asked what they said, but offered as much support as possible without crowding him. The closest he would ever get to voicing his curiosity would be to ask if it had been especially bad.

Gilbert turned his head as a familiar voice called his name. "Hey!" he called back, eager to talk to his friend. Or maybe, he just wanted to stall some more. Either way, he was in the talking mood, intending to blow off steam about Edwin without bloodshed, which was the normal way he dealt with anger. But not today... yet... "You can probably guess where I'm headed," he said with a sigh, "Probably about leaving the barracks early, or some other stupid thing like that. Sometimes, I think they're just threatened by my greatness, so they try to knock me down a notch. But they should know by now that doesn't work!" At this, he snickered, believing this to be the actual truth. "Oh, and Edwin's the same old same old, taking up his time just to try and egg me on. You should be proud of me though, 'cos I didn't punch him square in the nose today!" he announced, as if he deserved some sort of prize for holding himself back. Though, really, he probably did. At least that way, he'd be more likely to do it more in the future. But no one rewarded common courtesy, so he didn't find it beneficial to him most of the time. But today, it'd help him in spending less than two hours getting yelled at by his seniors.

"I think your actually right. I leave the barracks only a bit after you, and they never yell at me." He said, suppressing the urge to smile. Same ol Gilbert, it seemed even being yelled at almost daily wasn't enough to keep him in bad spirits. "I'm actually impressed with you, holding back like that. Usually you'd just punch his lights out, but who knows? Maybe you're finally growing up." He couldn't hold back on that, sometimes he just had to add a slightly smart-alecky comment. Not very often, though. "Hey, maybe next time we go to town you'll fall for some lucky girl."

Gilbert crossed his arms, a triumphant smile on his face. "It only proves that I'm the best around," he added, conveniently forgetting about the losses he had suffered last week. Even with those in mind, he planned to turn the losses into absolute victories in this week's duels! Elek wouldn't know what hit him! Of course, he was still his friend, he just wanted to beat him in a fight for once. To lose so much against one guy without any improvement... it was so frustrating! But hopefully, all these extra hours spent in the morning would help him to finally bring down his best friend! "I've totally grown up! You can't tell me you haven't noticed how much more amazing I've become through the years," he said, casting a grin at Elek. He looked back forward and let his hands drop back by his sides as he began to laugh again. "That would be one lucky girl! But, much to the towns girls' disappointment, I'm going to go solo until I become the best knight there's ever been!"

"I'd just settle for being able to help folks." Elek replied with a laugh. "You know the legends, the greatest knights all save some princess who they really, really like. And then end up marrying them. Knowing you, it'll be some really pretty head of our enemy country, that decides to make peace because of your awesomeness." Not that that would ever actually happen. There weren't enough of those to go around, and it would always be a prince who got the princess. Not that he minded, for some (_*cough*obvious*cough*_) reason he wasn't interested in women. Well, it had to do with his secret, but he wouldn't share that with anyone.

"Hm," Gilbert mumbled, looking up in thought, "Sure, that'd be pretty cool, except for the marrying part. I don't want to be tied down in my prime! After all, you can't do that type of thing until you succeed in your big dream! Or else you'll never feel fulfilled!" He didn't view love and marriage as any sort of happy ending, only as something that was forced into their lives. It was a sort of imprisonment, or so, he always thought. He always told his younger brother 'lessons' like this when he got the chance to visit him in the town. Even though he'd really wanted to keep talking to Elek, they had arrived at the barracks. He sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Eh, see you at the training field later. This'll probably take a while," he said with a dreary look, waving 'bye' before opening the door and entering, shutting them back at the command at one of the teachers.

Elek waved as Gilbert went off to get yelled at, returning to his tent to get all the training gear he would need for the day. When training started there was an uneven number of apprentices, as Gilbert was still being yelled at, so someone told him to find something to do. He did, in the form of a target and his bow. He wanted to be able to hunt for his own food, or kill a bandit from far away, avoiding unnecessary danger, so he practiced whenever possible, dividing the time between his other skills, mainly focusing on the sword and bow.

* * *

A failure? Disrespectful, a nobody? Ha! All of those stabs at his character were unsuccessful, for he knew them to be false. He, much to the displeasure of the seniors, was rising swiftly through the ranks, and no one could stop him! Even though he had been bashed upon for hours, he came out with a bright smile, walking steadily back to the training grounds, his sword clinging as it bounced. As he approached the field, the dew now gone and the sun harsh and bright, the other trainees were already practicing combat with their partners. He slowed as he searched for Elek, hoping he hadn't already been assigned a sparing partner. The best thing to defeating an enemy was to thoroughly examine their battle style, the teacher's had always said. Plus, he had the most fun fighting with Elek, and the least frustration.

Elek loved archery most of all the skills they learnt. The rhythmic movement that went along with it, and the calm allowed him to think without risking interruption. In fact, the other students seemed to think the cold calculation in his eyes when firing was frightening, as none save Gilbert would walk up to him. Or, maybe it was just that he was a deadly shot and wasn't adverse to wounding those who interrupted his thinking time. Regardless, he savored the time rather a lot, and would always try to hit farther and farther away targets. This time, he was thinking about something he had recently discovered about himself, which could change everything, and consequentially didn't notice Gilbert walking up to him.

Gilbert finally laid his eyes upon Elek, who was practicing his archery separate from the rest of the apprentices. His grin widened, and quickly approached him, but made sure not to make any loud, obnoxious noises like normal. Even he knew it was a terrible thing to cross Elek's concentration. Instead, he watched from afar, in slight admiration. His aim was never to become an archer, so it didn't make him agitated to admire him. Really, there was no contest with Elek when it came to archery. He was the best, which was one of the reasons he considered him so close to his level of awesomeness. As soon as the shot was fired, he decided to finally alert him of his presence. "Nice shot, as always!"

"G-geh!" He said, as his hands jerked in surprise from the sudden noise. Not even checking to see if the arrow had hit or not he turned around, only to see Gilbert. "Oh, Gilbert. You're back from whatever they wanted you for?" Elek started moving over to the target, signaling Gilbert to follow, and started de-stringing his bow so it could rest for a bit. "Without you around things are kinda boring, you know? I hope they weren't too hard on you." It wasn't like he deserved any of it, after all. They were all just sore over something or other, it seemed.

Gilbert nodded and followed him to the target, chuckling. "Of course. The excitement follows me wherever I go," he commented, then shrugged, "Too harsh? Nah, I can take anything they throw at me! The only really bad thing is that I have to skip lunch and dinner today, since I get in trouble so often." It should have been a crime to with hold food! Ah, he could hear his stomach growling already... Tomorrow's training would be awful, that was for sure."So, you up for some sparing?" he asked excitedly, since Elek was done de-stringing his bow.

"Sure. I'll just finish picking up my arrows and we can find a spot." He replied, doing as suggested. After all of them were back in his quarrel and the cap put on, he started to walk over to where he had casually lain his sword. Right next to his sword was a book without a title, Elek's journal. He wrote everything in that, and everyone knew that if you touched it, you died. As had been demonstrated when the other apprentices first found out, and Edwin had made the mistake of touching it. He hadn't been able to train for months when Elek was through with him. Because of that he knew his sword was safe. "How do you wanna do this? First blood or keep going until one of us admits defeat?"

Gilbert eyed the journal, but only for a second. It was his best friend's privacy, and he wouldn't invade it, but... he couldn't lie, he was very curious. But the prospect of dueling was far more enticing. "Til one of us gives!" He slung the strap off his shoulder and drew the sword as the scabbard fell to the ground. He scooted it to the side with a swift kick of his foot, then took his stance. Of course, using real swords wasn't approved, but it wasn't against the rules either. Especially if they were in capable and calm hands. Normally, Gil wasn't allowed to use his real sword against other trainees, but he paid a lot more attention to what he was doing when facing Elek, who was the last person he wanted to inflict a critical wound upon. He assumed Elek thought the same of him... that, and he was naturally calm. "Ready when you are!"

"Alrighty then." He slowly unsheathed his sword, careful to inspect it for dull or chipped parts. The slightest imbalance could severely effect his combat, and even lead to injury. Once satisfied he took his own stance, blade down but ready to be brought swiftly up in protective or offensive movements. "If things get out of hand, or we start getting too close to the others, one of us should drop their blade, alright? We don't wanna hurt anyone else." And with that he struck, swinging to the right and then cutting around in the opposite direction to test Gil's reaction speed. Both were relatively easy to block, so he shouldn't get hurt too bad just yet.

Gilbert held his sword to the side to block one, then the same with the other. He then tried to go on the offensive, using his last block to start a downward swing. The match went on for some time, and they actually even attracted a few of the other trainees as an audience. However, Gil was eventually bested, knocked off balance by a strike and landing on his back, taking his breath and his grasp on his sword. He was covered in small abrasions, while he had only been able to inflict a small number, if any at all. Once his breathing recovered, he looked to the side, feeling sore after another defeat."Dammit...," he cursed under his breath. Elek was his friend... he shouldn't feel so bitter about him, but he couldn't help it! He was still only... second best...

Elek put away his sword, glad none of the cuts had reached his core, and shook out his hand. Blinking owlishly almost, he told his best, and only, friend "You're definitely stronger, and there's a lot of improvement. It's just... uhh..." Elek looked around at the other trainees awkwardly. He couldn't just say it in front of the others. It would only make their bullying worse.

Gilbert avoided the looks of the other trainees, who were snickering. He took Elek's hand and pulled himself up grudgingly, refusing to talk just yet. Without letting go of his friend's hand, he led him out of the group, shoving past the other boys and going to the empty mess hall. He let go of Elek's hand, but didn't turn to face him. "What... did I do wrong this time?" he asked. During a defeat was the only time he was disheartened. As long as someone won, he wasn't the best...

"You kept pushing forward. It was almost like the other trainees when they loose their temper, you were rushing forward with no regard for the next move sometimes, and others you chose the wrong one and ended up either off balance or wide open. You're skilled, but it's almost like you rarely get to fight someone who would notice those things." He said, knowing better than to sugar-coat it. He'd never improved when his teachers did, and it kinda seemed like Gilbert was the same. "You are faster, but are you only using the Cadences for practice? Try just improvising against a fake opponent. How would you react to your own moves?"

Gilbert took in the valuable advice, but he couldn't really comprehend it... He finally turned, but didn't look straight at him. "Elek, do you think..," he paused, getting embarrassed by the mere thought of asking such a thing. It was so unlike him... but even he knew he needed it... "Do you think... you could... train me?" he finally asked, finally managing to look his friend in the face. It hurt his pride, but he had to get better. He had to!

He blinked, surprised to put it simply. "Uhh... sure? I'm by no means a master, though." Elek honestly didn't think he should be teaching anyone, but when his friend looked at him like that... Something told him to act at once like he could help, and make clear that he's nothing compared to what he must look like, always winning. Taking a slight thinking pose while walking, he _hmmed_ and started musing "First I'll need to know what you do regularly so I know what to change, but you should probably find somewhere to vent your feelings. That's what I use my journal for, and it helps me stay calm like nothing. Once you loose your calm, the battle's already in the hands of your enemy."

"You're too modest!" Gilbert huffed, crossing his arms. Elek downgrading his abilities meant he was saying he was even worse, and he really didn't like that. After all, he was nothing other than awesome. "What I normally do? Like my battle technique?" he asked, but didn't need Elek to tell him what he already knew. What he did need, though, is an answer in the first place. He usually didn't have much of a one. "Well... I guess I mostly just go with my gut feeling... I usually don't use strategy, very much," he said, a little embarrassed to admit such a thing.

"I... see." He said, somewhat surprised. "That actually explains a lot. The important part of starting to learn swordsmanship, according to my master, was to learn the technicalities of it, or the style, and then make it your own. I can teach you the basics of what I know, and we can develop your own, personal style from there, starting tomorrow if you want. Once you practice the style enough, it'll flow naturally and you can use both your gut feeling and strategy. You've got the talent, you know." More than Elek did... far more.

Gilbert hummed, looking to the side. He had never tried to learn strategy, so this was probably going to take a lot to learn, but as long as his dream held true, he would do anything to improve and soar past the competition."Alright! How early?" he asked, the bitter feeling of losing was being overshadowed by his excitement. He also wanted to learn before this weeks dueling session, where he'd knock everyone flat on their butts! Especially Edwin.

"I usually start my training as soon as I can see what I'm doing, so how about when the sun rises above the hill behind the barracks?" That should give him enough time to wash and ready himself for the day, without running the risk of Gilbert finding out about him. As much as Elek doubted it, Gil could rat him out upon finding out just why he was always up and training so early, to avoid anyone finding out his secret. Besides, Gilbert probably already got up that early anyway.

Even though he'd be chewed out again for leaving without permission, Gilbert was totally psyched. "Sounds good to me! It's settled," he said, his earlier somber look was replaced with a bright grin, "I won't forget! Promise!" He held out his hand to be shaken, but he had to end it quickly as he remembered a little detail. "Ah! Shit, my sword! I left it at the training grounds," he realized in a panic. He side-stepped around Elek and raced back, only to find Edwin holding his priceless sword, swinging it around and mocking him. It wasn't the making fun that agitated him so much... it was the fact that he was playing around with his sword. The sword he got from...

"Give it back!" he demanded, approaching swiftly. Before Edwin could react to his sudden appearance, he grabbed the hilt of the blade, and attempted to wrestle it back, then kicked him in the stomach as hard as he could. Edwin couldn't hold onto it after that, and he fell to the ground, curling in pain. Noticing he had lost his cool completely, he picked up the scabbard, shoving in the sword, and shuffled off, before any of the teacher's could stop him. He retreated to the woods that boarded the area, a place that was off limits to apprentices, but somewhere he went to a lot, and one Elek was familiar with. After a minute of slow-paced jogging he stopped out a small creek, letting out a sigh. He tumbled down into the grass, wondering what kind of punishment he'd get for that... "But... no one touches Father's sword...," he muttered, "No matter what..."

* * *

Elek turned around to watch as Gilbert ran off, blinking in surprise. "Wha..." He managed to get out before the albino was out of sight. Staring after him for a few moments, he soon turned around again to continue walking off to the barracks. After returning his stuff to his tent, Elek started looking for Gil. Something about the way his friend had run off left him with a bad feeling. Upon reaching the edge he heard Edwin complaining to one of the instructors.

"...stronger message!" Edwin was very angry, it seemed. He was also cradling his stomach, which was all Elek needed to know in order to rush over to the river. It was the only place he could think of that his friend would be at, and it was certainly a nice place to think or calm down.

"F-found you!" He managed to pant out after running to the location, hands on his knees and sweat pouring down his chin.

Gilbert laid there for several minutes before hearing Elek's tired voice. He sat up and looked over, placing the sword to the side. "Uh... hey..," he muttered, turning back to watch the stream flow, "I... uhm... Lost my cool... a little..."More than a little, but he didn't want Elek to be totally disappointed in him. He was supposed to start strategics tomorrow, but he hadn't even learned to hold in his anger... but really, it was asking too much. Playing it calm and waiting for Edwin to give it back? Give back the sword his father gave him the last time he saw him, while he was thrashing about without a care in the world? It was an impossible feat... "Were they really mad? The teachers, I mean...," he muttered, messing with the end of his cape nervously.

"Edwin's trying to get them so, but as far as I can tell, not any more than usual." He told Gil, sitting down next to his friend. A sigh, then "It's kinda pretty out today. I always envied the river and sky, able to take anything without changing at all. But recently I've been thinking, is that really such a good thing? Maybe we all need to change, a little bit at a time. Whatever Edwin did must have been horrible, he's still cradling his stomach. If you want, I can teach you how I intimidate them too... maybe they'd leave you alone that way?"

Gilbert's eyes followed Elek as he sat next to him, but then they returned to the stream. Of course that weasel was trying to get him in more trouble than he already would be, but it was relieving to hear his attempts were failing. "I guess... but why change something when it's already beautiful?" he asked as he talked about the nature around them, tossing a pebble into the water and watching the ripples spread. "I'll teach him to be afraid of me this Saturday... just you watch!" he said, feigning confidence. He wasn't sure he could even use what Elek was going to teach him in a fight with Edwin... He was so good at pissing him off...

"Nature doesn't change all at once, but it is... I just couldn't see it at first. Only the sky's really the same." He said softly. Reaching into his pocket he took out a blank journal. "What I do won't work perfectly, but first you need a place to vent. If you can't get rid of your agression without violence what I teach you won't stick, so you can have this! It might help, and it might not, but it's worth the effort." With that he put it down next to Gil, so he could take it. "That's step one. Step two is to calmly think of retorts to verbal attacks. Think of his weaknesses, if you can find them, then saying them or not you'll know what he says has nothing to do with you. Step three, use your calm to hide all intentions! Most people can't do the last part, but you can definitely do it."

Gilbert paused, then made a small noise in agreement, looking at the creek more closely. They had come here for so many years... and he had never noticed how the stream grew steadily, and the landscape changed ever so slightly. He leaned down and let his fingers skim the rushing water, overcome by all of his memories at this place through all the years. He sat back up and looked to Elek as he began mentioning a way to let off steam. "A journal? Like yours?" he asked, reaching out and taking the black book with a confused look, "Well, I probably could make good come backs! It's just this time... it wasn't what he was saying, it's what he _stole_..." He didn't go into further detail, knowing that Elek would think it was silly that a simple sword would make him flip like that. And he wasn't yet ready to tell anyone about his father, so he couldn't justify it.

"It was something important to you then." Stealing a quick glance at his friend, Elek spoke again in a slightly lighter tone. "I don't think he'll be trying that for a long time. Or swinging a sword for that matter." He gave a reassuring smile. "I believe you had a good reason. That's all I need to know."

Gilbert smiled back at Elek, saying, "Thanks for understanding." He then took a look at the book again, flipping through the pages. "Edwin is gonna have some real fun with this. Probably will call it a diary," he huffed, setting the black journal on top of his sword, "But... it might help with stuff like that, if it works for you." After all, when he talked about Edwin to Elek, he found that it calmed him down quite a bit, getting all of the nasty things out. The journal must be relatively the same concept, only it involved writing instead of talking. Granted his penmanship wasn't too awful great, he didn't need other people to be able to read it. Hell, he didn't even have to be able to read it later! It's sole purpose was to be a stabilizer, in his case. "Thanks for everything, really," he added, realizing he hadn't expressed his gratitude for the gift or for the secret training... or for being his friend for all these years.

"You're welcome!" He broke into a grin, somehow looking almost effeminate. Then again, Elek rarely smiled, even small ones that make him look like the guy everyone thinks he is. Rather than dwelling on that, and ending up depressed like Gil was earlier, he focused on what was going on around him. Namely, Gilbert doing something relatively rare, thanking him for something. It would be a shame to one day see this friendship crushed, when his secret became too obvious to hide, but the here and now was more important anyway. Not some intangible future that could change at a moment's notice.

Gilbert felt a silence approaching, so he stood quickly and stretched. It was also an attempt to cloak his embarrassment. He didn't usually say such things, and it was a bit too sentimental for his tastes. "Aaaah~! I better head back... the teachers are probably looking for me," he said, reaching down to pick up his sword and journal. He placed the strap across his shoulder and tucked the journal under his arm, hidden by the cape. "I'll catch ya later, Elek," he said, heading back.

"Yeah, later!" Elek smiled, watching as Gil walked off to get yelled at again. When he'd left sight, Elek's head drooped onto clasped knees. Looking at the river but not seeing it, he thought of recent events. He knew soon he'd have to find out stuff that was important to what he was. However, having no clue where to go for that knowledge, or even how long he had, he sighed. "I should have brought mine too... It's hard knowing my secret."

* * *

Gilbert went around the long way so that he ended up behind the barracks, so no one would see him leaving the forest. After that, he went back to the training field, where a couple of the teachers were waiting for him while all of the other trainees were in the mess hall. He knew the two as Devon, one who liked to yell a lot, and his own personal teacher, Arthur, who was a lot more mellowed out. That's not to say he didn't get mad, but he didn't blow Gil's ears off either. "I don't think we need to tell you what you did to end up in council with us again," Devon said, his eye twitching, no doubt ready to blow. "No sir," Gil said flatly. He spent the next half hour getting scolded for irrational behavior, dealing serious injury to a peer, and not reporting to them immediately. By the time he was excused, it was sun down, and he had to go to the barracks.

His stomach pleaded for sustenance, but he wouldn't be allowed to quell the rumbling until the morning. But what was even worse was the fact he had been banned from tomorrow's training. It was a low blow, but at least he would get some secret training in tomorrow with Elek...

* * *

Elek got up and ran off to the dining hall, planning on grabbing something for himself, and if he could get away with it, Gil. Usually it didn't work that well, but he had to try! Since Gil'd missed breakfast and lunch already, he probably needed something. "If they had to punish him, couldn't they have Gilbert do some sword-polishing or something? It makes more sense than keeping him from eating anyway."

Dinner ended without him having a chance to sneak food for Gilbert, and he decided to call it quits for the day. Going into his tent he started burning a candle so he could write. A few paragraphs more added to the journal and he was ready for bed, falling relatively quickly asleep. He dreampt of what would have happened had he not been left an orphan.

Gilbert sighed and decided to just go to bed. The sooner he fell asleep, the faster tomorrow morning would come... and he very much wanted to reach tomorrow. He removed his cape and gloves, and slipped his boots off before climbing into his bed, burying himself in the thin sheet. Go to sleep! he urged himself on, so he could be ready to start early.

* * *

Gilbert got up much earlier than he was ordered, but it was okay. He could get in a little extra practice before Elek got up and arrived... Actually, had they decided on a place for the training?.. Hmm... Perhaps he'd just go to the stream, and hope Elek knew he hadn't just forgotten their deal? That sounded good... after all, his friend knew him well enough to know he wouldn't over sleep when advancing his skills was at risk. He stuffed his feet back into his boots and tied them quickly, grabbing his sword that lay leaned up against the bed, sneaking out of the barracks. He made his way through the forest and reached the small river, unsheathing his sword to get in a few practice swings and some stretching. He had also brought the journal, just in case he he got tired of preparations.

Elek got up, put on his boots, and rushed out to meet up with Gil. Or, rather, to use the stream to wash and then meet Gil. However, as he was already there, he didn't have a chance. "A-ahh... and I even brought the plant-soap this time. Well, you beat me here this time, but next time I'll get here first!" He told Gilbert brightly, despite being somewhat miffed. Not that it was his business when Gil decided to show up. "Sorry I couldn't get you any dinner last night."

Gilbert was stretching with his sword behind his shoulders, and his arms were up over it, as it was sheathed of course, when he heard Elek approach. He grabbed the strap of the scabbard and brought it away from his back, letting it lay gently on the ground. "Fat chance!" he said back with a laugh. But upon hearing Elek had attempted to salvage some dinner, he shook his head, "It's alright. Besides, a day isn't too long. It's not like I'm dying."

"That's good, I was kinda worried." He replied, shrugging. "Since I was gonna wash, I haven't changed yet. I'll just do that over here!" Elek walked over to a bunch of bushes tall enough to hide him. "DON'T LOOK! Got it?" With a Hmp to show how serious he was, he jumped in and started changing as quickly and carefully as possible. If Gil were to look, it wouldn't take much for him to figure out the secret, but he wouldn't right?

"Uh, sure..," Gilbert said, giving a confused look. _Why would Elek care?_ he asked himself, _We're all built the same..._ No matter how much this confused him, he shrugged it off. It was Elek's business. Maybe he was just embarrassed by it... haha, that'd be funny!... That's probably why then, hm? He just didn't want to be the target of teasing, even if he knew he would never mean any of it. Maybe the big tough Elek was actually small, and pretty insecure about it. That made the most sense, anyway.

Having hurried and dressed as quickly as he could. Rushing out with his hair-tie down again, and trying to finish setting up his outer layer of clothes. His hair was still down, and there were leaves in it here and there. "Just a bit more and I should be ready for training, sorry to keep you waiting." At this point he tripped over a root, falling on his face with a muffled "ow"

"It's not a problem," getting ready to take his sword from his scabbard again, before seeing Elek trip. He wondered over, giving him a smirk. "You sure you're focused?" he asked in a joking manner, holding out his hand to help him up. He also took this time to take notice of his hair being down, which was a rare occurrence, probably because it made him look so girly. If he had just met Elek and was told he was a girl, he'd totally buy it. Was that an insult? Probably.

"Even I have bad days, you know!" He shouted back with annoyance. Standing up, despite the twinging in his toe, he started to pick up fixing his clothes and such. Pouting slightly, he started to use his hands to comb through his hair before tying it up. "I just woke up anyway, and haven't washed or anything... just how focused do you think I always am!"

Gilbert only laughed as Elek started to get annoyed. "I haven't bathed, either!" he said in between light laughs. "You're such a girl, Elek!" he teased, turning away and reaching back down to get his sword, unsheathing it.

"Geh!" Elek squeaked, surprised. Was he already aware of his secret? No, there was no way that could be! He was joking, right? Regardless he stood, grabbed his sword, and started to breathe in deeply. "Right, you can swing and such, but how do you feel when holding the sword? Is it a sense of accomplishment, or aggression? Do you feel like you have to hit something with it, or like it's enough as it is? The use of a blade starts from the moment you draw."

Gilbert hummed, tossing his sword from one hand to the other. "Well... I mostly feel... excitement," he said finally, grasping the handle tightly, "So... I guess that means... aggression? Because drawing my sword makes me think of fighting." He guessed he was right. Anything that had to do with his state of mind in dueling was probably the wrong way of doing it.

"Excitement?" He paused for a moment. "So... you want to fight? That in and of itself isn't a bad thing, but... I think it should probably come second to wanting to protect something, or achieve something. But that's just me, you need to find a way of using the sword that allows you to fight without loosing control, since once you do your opponent will take advantage of that."

Gilbert blinked, looking down at the gleaming steel. "Protecting? Like what?"he asked. He didn't have much in his life he wanted to protect... except..."...Never mind, I think I get it... So... instead of just improving to be the best, I'm improving so I can protect something in the future?" He began to set up an imaginary instance in his head. Enemies had come to their land, and were attacking the city. His grip on the sword's hilt tightened._ I'll protect my brother_.

"There's something, isn't there? No, you don't have to tell me what it is." Taking one hand off to make a peaceful gesture. Seriously he continued with: "When you start to get frustrated, or loose control, remember why you fight. Now it's like we're all playing a game, the stakes are only our own pain and lessons, but it won't always be so. In the future, when we become Knights, the ones who suffer for our failures aren't just ourselves, but those we are protecting. We can't afford to loose focus." Green eyes blazed quietly with the seriousness of his words, the certainty of one who has seen that the fuel.

Gilbert nodded, surprisingly getting all that was being told to him. To protect... is what a knight should be able to do, especially one who aims to be the best. "I think I get it," he replied, looking back down at his sword, pointing it up to look at his reflection in the blade. _I don't intend to take the duties you gave along with this weapon lightly. I'll protect Ludwig... just you watch_. "Yeah, I feel it now... the energy from it, I mean," he said with a new face of determination, "What's next then? Or should we practice a little to make sure I understand?"

"Next we work on your technique. The only one who can make you understand that is you, and some people need longer for it to truly hit them." Elek answered, turning to face the river, and performing a simple strike, speaking as he did "If you hold the sword too tight it'll cause problems over time, but you can't hold it so loosely that it'll fly out of your hand. How you position your hands is important too."

Gilbert nodded, following Elek with his eyes. He analyzed the way he held and swung the sword, and tried to copy the style. "Err... It might take a while for me to get this," he admitted sheepishly. The way he was holding it, the right way, felt awkward for his hands, but he was certain he'd get used to it."I'll work on it today... You can go on back, so you don't get in trouble," he advised, throwing in a practice swing. Damn, his fingers slipped to be more comfortable... This would take all morning, and night probably. He had to get it down path without messing up by tomorrow, as he wanted to get to the new lesson right away. He only had a few days to prepare, after all.

"Alright, but don't push it. Everyone's different, but that's the hold for the style I was taught." Elek replied, getting up half-worriedly. Would Gilbert actually be okay on his own? It wasn't a certain thing, and he didn't want him to get hurt. Walking off with a worried expression, he moved back to the training area, planning on doing something. If Gil was about to get yelled at for training, then he would be too. And for that reason he just went farther down to practice on his own.

* * *

Gilbert didn't turn but he still waved a goodbye. He spent the next few hours training, then sneaked back onto the training grounds. Of course, as usual, he was called down to the barracks, but something was different about this time. They didn't start yelling immediately. Instead, they told him another apprentice would be joining in the scolding today. I really hope it's Edwin, so I can make fun of him, he thought with a sly smile.

Elek jogged over to Gilbert's side, breathing deeply. "Really, couldn't they have called me at another time? I was just about finished putting away my sword. Sheesh, just because we're about to start learning how to ride..." Sighing a bit, he stopped next to Gil, hand on his knees and trying to catch his breath. "Sorry... I must have gotten the message a bit late."

Gilbert watched his friend jog over, absolutely dumbfounded. He was the one that was in trouble too? "Wh-what? Elek?" he asked, the shock clear on his face. "He's... not really supposed to be here, right?" he questioned, turning to the two seniors. One shook his head, and the other, Devon, was just giving him the evil eye. "I knew hanging out with this brat was going to be a bad influence on you, Elek..," he said, as if sorely disappointed in not Elek's actions, but who he chose to hang out with, "It was only a matter of time..."

"Until I got caught out of bed? Sure. But this was my choice, not Gilbert's." He told the older man, a look in his eyes of defying whatever they may throw at him. "And if I choose to train early, isn't that my prerogative Nevertheless, I should have asked for..." A pause, as though he wasn't sure what to say. Frankly, he wasn't, but that wasn't something he would willingly let anyone know. "...permission. Therefore, punish me as you see fit. But I asked for Gilbert's help, some early morning sparring. Please take this into consideration." For an amateur this bit of diversion was excellently performed, not even the slightest bat of an eye or other hint that he was not telling the truth.

Gilbert stared as Elek was giving not himself, but rather his friend, an excuse, placing the blame on himself. He knew he was trying to help him out of trouble, but this was nothing! He got in trouble plenty of times, so it didn't bother him. He didn't want Elek to receive most of the fall... But if he stood up for Elek, his attempts to get him out of trouble would fail. As much as he'd like to skip a chewing out by the teachers, he couldn't stand for Elek throwing himself in the line of fire. "A-actually, it was me who asked for help! I, uh... wanted... to get back at Edwin, so I sought help from Elek... It's not his fault," he said quickly, avoiding direct eye contact, even with Elek. Devon seemed to like that confession a lot better than Elek's, mostly because he saw Gil as the problem child.

"That sounds a lot more likely," he humphed, "But I think you got your revenge when you kicked him square in the stomach." "Not... revenge, really," Gilbert muttered. It was true he already got that, but not for beating him. That was for stealing his sword and swinging it about like it was nothing. "Just... I want to prove idiots like you and Edwin wrong," he said with a smirk, finally meeting Devon's gaze. Of course, this only got him more angry, but that was his aim, to get the focus off of Elek... well, that, and it was also the truth.

* * *

This was a snippet of a story I had been doing with another person (not my friend who's half of this account, mind you), but it has been discontinued. If you had taken an interest in it, and you like to role play, I am humbly asking for a new partner, as I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and know that it could have real potential! If you want to take up this project with me, I would be very grateful!

If you do, please drop a message by with a sample of your role playing, specifically of Elek/Elizaveta. It doesn't have to be exactly like this one, of course! The only thing I need this for is to see if you're comfortable role playing in story format, and actually meet in the lines of the character Hungary/Elek/Elizaveta. Since this isn't the same world, and they _aren't_ countries and live in different circumstances, there **will be** differences in character, but that doesn't mean their entire personality is down the drain.

If you have any questions about what I just explained or the story itself, also send those over, and I will answer to the best of my abilities! Thank you for giving me your time, and have a nice day!


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